Card or check file.



No. 726,480. PATENTED APR. 28, 1903. J. W. HINE. CARD OR CHECK FILE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26, 1901.

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PATENTED APR. 28, 1903.

J. W HINE.

CARD 0R CHECK FILE.

APPLIOATION FILED 1330.26, 1901.

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JAMES W. HINE, OF JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ART METALCONSTRUCTION COMPANY, OF JAMESTOWN, NE\V YORK, A CORPORA- TIoN on NEWYORK.

CARD OR CHECK FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters'latent No. 726,430, dated April28, 1903..

Application filed December 26 1901. Serial No. 87,237. (No model.)

T0 at whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES W. HINE, of Jamestown, county of Chautauqua,State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCard or Check Files; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to thereference-numerals marked thereon.

My invention relates to a filing-case for keeping card-indexes orbank-checks or any series of papers of uniform size or any other kind offiat unfolded papers which may for convenience be placed in it, andwhich consists, broadly, of a drawer having a guide, a slide which maybe clamped at any position along the guide, which slide carries springswhich will compress the papers first at the bottom and release them lastat the bottom. This causes the papers to fall back at the top first whenreleasing them, throwing them into the natural position in which theycan be most readily examined by any person using the file. The springshave the additional function of throwing the slide back from the papersas soon as the presser-foot is released, making it unnecessary for theoperator to move it back after it has been released. In this retractedposition the slide, with its springs, serves as a beveled block andholds the oardsresting against it in a position such as they would beheld in while resting against an ordinary beveled wooden block, such asis frequently used in card-index files. This slide, with its springs, isreferred to in the claims in some cases as a slide-block.

To these and other ends it consists in certain improvements inconstruction and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter fullydescribed, all features being pointed out in the claims annexed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of thedrawer or check file. Fig. 2 is a detailed sectional view showingthepresser-footandguidesfortheslide. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on theline 3 3 of the slide shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a longitudinalelevation broken away to show the relation of Fig. 5.

the slide and papers held by the file. Fig. 5 is a perspective viewshowing the side of the slide toward the papers. Fig. 6 is a variationof Fig. 5. Fig. '7 is a side elevation showing relation of the slide andthe papers in the file when the papers have been released forexamination. Figs. 8 and 9 show additional variation from form of slideshown in Fig. 10 is a modified form of wedgeblock in which a platebacked by the springs is pivoted to the top of the upright.

Similar refereuce-numerals of the several figures represent similarparts.

The drawer or casing in which the slide is mounted may consist of metalor woodwork, and a metal drawer of preferred form is shown in Fig. 1.

Reference-numeral 1 refers to the drawer. The sides of this drawer maybe ribbed, as shown at 2 2, for a purpose hereinafter referred to. Thebottom of drawer is bent to form a broad groove or guide 3, which has anarrow slot 4, which runs the length of the drawer.

The slide 5 consists of, preferably, a single piece of metal bent toform an angle. The bottom part 6 of this angle-piece is provided withflanges 7, which fianges embrace corresponding guides 8 in the bottom ofthe drawer. These flanges hold the slide to a comparatively parallelmovement, thus preventing the slide from getting out of its parallelrelation to the papers which are held compressed by it or which may besupported by it when retracted in position for examination.

The bottom of the drawer is provided with beads 9 9, upon which theslide travels, which prevent it from scraping along the bottom andreduce the friction of its movement. Similar beads 10 10 may be providedupon the slide itself.

In the middle of the bottom of the slide is an opening 11, through whichextends a-presserfoot 12, which extends into and engages with the top ofthe guide This presser-foot is carried on a pivot 13 at the bottom of alink 14, which link is capable of a limited vertical movement. Near itsupper end this link is provided with a slot 15, through which it engageswith a rivet or pin 16, carried by the slide. Pivoted on this same rivetis a rocking cam 17, with a handle 18, and a camslot 19, which engageswith a pin 20 on the link 14.

The rotation of the handle of the rocking cam to the right, as shown bythe arrow in Fig. 2,will cause the presser-foot to rise and clamp thebottom of the drawer securely between the presser-foot 12 and the bottomof the slide 6, thus holding the slide in any position in which it maythus be clamped.

The presser foot is made of two pieces which are exactly alike and whichare placed 'back to back upon pivot 13. This gives them considerableflexibility, which enables them more readily to accommodate themselvesto the groove in which they slide. Experience has shown that thepresser-foot made after this design binds very much less as the slide ismoved along the drawer than does a foot that is made solid in a singlepiece. This, together with flanges 7 7, practically eliminates allbinding from the movement of the slide.

On the opposite side of the slide from the rocking cam (shown in Fig. 2)are carried two or more springs 21, such as are shown in side elevationin Fig. 3, and which are again shown in Fig. 5 and with variations inFigs. 6, 8, 9, and 10.

When the operator wishes to close the drawer, he presses the slide 5 upagainst the papers until the papers and spring assume the position shownin Fig. 4. By moving the handle 18 to the right, as shown by Fig. 2, theslide may be clamped in position, which will hold the papers compressedand in fixed position until further inspection of them is desired. Whenthe operator wishes to inspect the papers further, he opens the drawerand places a single finger against the lever 18 and throws the rockingcam over into position shown in Fig. 2. As soon as the cam has passedfar enough to release the presser-foot from frictional engagement withthe bottom of the drawer the springs 21 react against the papers andthrow the slide back into the position shownin Fig. 7. The papersfrequently have a natural expansion, which cooperates with the springsto effect this result, and if the drawer has sufficient papers in it'the slide may be thrown completely away from the papers, leaving thepapers to be supported by the division-cards, which have offsets restingon the longitudinal supports 2. These longitudinal supports 2 2 may beentirely omitted from the filing-case, and entire dependence may beplaced upon the slide or wedge block. They constitute no necessary partof my invention. By omitting them additional space is gained in thefiling-case, so that longer cards may be used in same-sized case. Theslide can be clamped in any position with the cards released, and itwill support the cards as effectually when they are open as though thelongitudinal supports 2 2 were present.

It will thus be seen that a large number of drawers can be rapidlyinspected and closed up again, leaving their contents in perfectcondition, so that they will not be disturbed by any subsequent handlingof the drawers.

The springs 21 are made, preferably in all cases, so that they bearagainst the lower part of the card instead of the middle of the card orupper part of it. This leaves the cards or papers free to expand at thetop before they have begun to expand at the bottom, and when thereleasing has been completed the top of the cardswill follow the slideback and the cards will assume a convenient position for examination,this position being the one ordinarily used in indexfiles. This has alsobeen found by experience to effectually prevent the cards from slidingbackward at the bottom. The plane which passes through the top of theslide and through the upper edge of the spring-blades is substantiallyof the same angle of inclination as the plane usually found in thewedgeblocks ordinarily used in card-index drawers, such as are shown,for example, in Fig. l of the patent to Carl F. Lomb, No. 550,984. Inthis respect the slide, with its springs, performs the functions of anordinary beveled or wedge block. This block, however, has the additionaladvantage of being compressible from the wedge shape to a flat block ofpractically parallel sides, so that a compressing-surface is presentedto the cards which is perpendicular to the line of force used incompressing. When the slide has been thrown back, with the cards'restingagainst it, as shown in Fig. '7, it may be clamped in position, in whichcase it will serve every purpose that a wedge-block will serve and issubstantially a wedge or beveled block,which can be locked in anyposition to accommodate itself to the volume of contents of the drawer.It is apparent that if the cards were compressed between wedge-shapedblocks the tendency of the wedge-shaped blocks would be to lift thecontents bodily out of the drawer, to prevent which usually some deviceis used in the drawer to permanently hold the cards or checks or papersfrom being thus lifted. This device is frequently a pin, and whatever itis it must be removed from the drawer before any papers can be taken outfor examination, (Sac.

It will be seen that by my construction I retain all theadvantages of awedge-block and hold the papers or cards securely in place if the draweris handled or taken from its case and also efiect an instant release ofevery paper or card in the file the instant the presserfoot is releasedby the rocking cam, so that the papers are at once accessible forexamination or removal.

It will be apparent that a number of variations may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, and several of thesevariations are shown in the drawings.

Fig. 6 shows a single-blade spring 25, extending horizontally across theface of the slide 5 and fastened to the face of the slide at the middleof the length of the spring;

Fig. 8 shows in side elevation a narrow plate carried on the face of theslide 5. Pins 27 extend from said plate 26 through the vertical memberof the slide 5, which pins are headed up at the back to keep them frompu lling through the holes. A small spiral spring 28 is threaded on eachof these pins, which normally hold the plate 26 out from the face of theslide. In Fig. 9 this plate 26 is supported by pins 29 in the same way,which pins 29 pass through the plate; but instead of spiral springs onthe pins the pins are pressed for ward by blade-springs mounted on theback of the upright member of the slide 5.

In Fig. 10 I have shown the same slide that is shown in Fig. 5, with theaddition of a plate 31, hinged at the top to the top of the verticalmember of the slide 5. This plate has the springs 21 under it, whichthrow the front plate out at the bottom, giving the slide a beveledfront and a vertical back similar in form to the beveled wooden blocksin use in filecases.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as my invention is asfollows:

1. The combination of a filing-case with an adjustable slide, a clampfor holding said slide, springs carried by said slide on the facethereof.

2. The combination with a filing-case, of a slide movable along saidcase, a clam p carried on the back of said slide, and springs mounted onthe face of said slide.

3. The combination of a filing-case with a slide movable along saidcase, said slide havinga vertical face and a vertical back, a clampcarried on the back of said slide, and a spring mounted on the face ofsaid slide.

4. The combination of a filing-case with a slide therefor, springsmounted in one side of said slide, said springs being compressible tosupport the cards in either an inclined position, or a verticalposition.

5. The combination of a filingoase with a compressor-slide for thepapers thereof, a spring carried by said com pressor-slide toantomatically throw out said compressor-slide when it is released.

6. The combination of a filing-case for papers,a movable compressor forsaid filing-case, adjustable in said case for clamping the papersthereof, means for rigidly holding said compressor, springs carried bysaid compressor for automatically retracting said compressor fromclamping position upon the re- 8. The combination of a filing-case, aslide therefor, means for holding the said slide to a parallel movement,means for holding said slide in any position, means carried on saidslide for automatically retracting said slide, when said holding meansis released.

9. The combinationin a filing-case for unperforated papers, means freelymovable for compressing said papers in a vertical position, a clampingdevice for rigidly holding said means against movement, said means, whenreleased from compressing position independently supporting said papersin a slanting position, said means having an upright plate forming theback thereof, said upright plate being mounted to stand vertically inboth its compressing and releasing positions.

10. The combination of a filing-case for papers a freely-movableslide-block for independently supporting said papers in an inclinedposition for examination, said slideblock also serving to compress saidpapers in a vertical position, a clamping device for rigidly holdingsaid slide-block against movement, said slide block having an uprightplate forming the back thereof, said plate being mounted to standvertically in both its compressing and released positions.

11. The combination of a filing-case for holding papers, with means forholding papers of said filing-case compressed, means for automaticallythrowing back said means, to release the papers of the filing-case.

12. The combination in a filing-case of a slide therefor comprising anangle-piece having a base and an upright, flanges on the sides of saidbase, springs carried by said upright, a presser-foot carried by saidupright, means for clamping said presser-foot to the said filing-case.

13. The combination in a filing-case of a slide therefor comprising anangle having a base and an upright, a slot in said base, a presser-footextending through said slot, a link supporting said presser-foot, saidlink having a slotted engagement with a pin carried on an upright ofsaid slide, alever rotatably mounted on said pin, means on said leverfor raising and locking said presser-foot.

14. The combination with a filing-case of a slide therefor, springscarried by said slide for automatically retracting said slide whenreleased, said springs compressing the papers in the case at the bottom.

15. The combination with a filing-case for unperforated papers of aslide therefor, compressing said papers in a vertical position, meanscarried on said slide for increasing the pressure on said papers at thebottom, said means serving to automatically retract said slide as soonas slide is unlocked.

16. The combination of a filing-case with an adjustable slide mountedtherein, means for locking said slide in any adjusted position, andmeans for automatically moving said slide simultaneously with thereleasing of it.

17 The combination of a filing-case with an adjustable slide mountedtherein, means for locking said slide in its movement, springs mountedon the face of said slide for moving said slide simultaneously with theunlocking of it.

18. A slide-block for a filing-case having normally the outlines of abeveled block and being capable of compression therefrom to the outlinesof a vertical compression-plate.

19. A slide-block for a filing-case normally expanding to the outlinesof a beveled block and being capable of compression therefrom to theoutlines of a vertical compressionplate.

20. A slide-block for a filing-case having a normal expansion to theoutlines of a beveled block and being capable of compression therefromto the outlines of a vertical compression-plate, said slide-block havinga rigid upright plate forming the back thereof.

21. The combination in a slide-block for a card-file, of an uprightplate, springs mounted on said plate, said springs and said platenormally presenting an inclined plane to th cards of said file.

22. The combination in a slide-block for a card-file of an uprightplate, springs mounted on said plate, said springs and the upright platenormally presenting an inclined plane to the cards of said file, andbeing capable under pressure of presenting an upright surface thereto.

23. A-slide for a card-file having springs mounted on one side of saidslide, said springs extending normally away from the slide, but beingcompressible against it.

24:. A presser-foot for the slide of a cardfile comprising tWo duplicateangle-pieces placed back to back on a single pivot.

25. The combination in a filing-case for papers of means for eithercompressing said papers in a vertical position or for holding them in aslanting position when released, said means leaving said papers free tobe removed When held in a slanting position, said means having anupright plate forming the back thereof, said plate being mounted tostand vertically in both its compressing and released positions.

26. A filing-case containing cards, a slideblook therefor capable ofexpansion and compression at the bottom of the face of said slide, tohold the cards in a slanting or vertical position as required.

27. The combination in a filing-case for papers of means for holdingsaid papers compressed in a vertical position or for holding them whenreleased in a slanting position, said means leaving said papers'free tobe removed when held in a slanting position, said means having anupright plate forming the back thereof, said plate being mounted tostand vertically in both its compressing and released positions.

JAMES W. HINE.

Witnesses:

ALBERT GILBERT, ANGUS MCKENZIE.

